It’s like a scene from a movie: bright, blue sky shimmering over lush, green fields when suddenly, through the trees, emerges a rider on a beautiful horse. Despite the blazing, summer sun, the rider looks comfortable, fresh, cool even. What are they wearing to look so good (and so comfortable)?
Even more than looking good, safety is important when horseback riding in the summer. That means you need to keep your body temperature down and protect your skin. (Of course, you need to look out for your horse’s safety, too. Scroll to the end of the article for a few tips).
For You
The Right Shirt. It needs to be:
- Moisture-wicking. Comfortable fabrics will pull the moisture away from your skin and prevent your clothes from sticking to you. Look for certain fabrics, like Coolmax, Cooltex, Dri-Lex, or Airmax, which are designed to wick perspiration away from your skin
- Breathable (or even ventilated). Air that gets to your skin will help to dry moisture on your skin and your body to cool down.
- Light. Obviously, lightweight fabrics will help to minimize how hot you feel. Also, light-coloured fabrics for your shirt and your pants repel the sun while dark colours draw the heat to your body. Lastly, if you’re trail-riding, you can see ticks more easily against light-coloured clothing.
- Non-clingy. Form-fitting clothing works against air getting to your skin and cooling you down so looser clothing is cooler.
- SPF-protected and/or long-sleeved, if possible. If it’s not, don’t forget the sunscreen!
Kerrits Ice Fil Print Short-Sleeved
- Ultra-light and breathable
- Ice Fil cools by reducing the skin’s temperature up to five degrees
- UV sun protection (UPF 30+)
- Few sizes
- Few colours
Tuffrider Women’s Ventilated Technical Long-Sleeved Sport Shirt with Mesh
- Ventilated, mesh fabric
- Equestrian style
- Variety of sizes
- Moderate variety of colours
HR FARM Women’s Ventilated Long-Sleeved Quick Dry Horse Riding Sun Shirts
- Ventilated
- Quick dry fabric
- Mesh underarm
- Equestrian style
- Moderate variety of sizes
- Moderate variety of colours
Columbia Women’s PFG Tamiami II Long-Sleeved Shirt
- Moisture-wicking fabric
- Lightweight
- Back vent
- UV sun protection (UPF 40)
- Wide variety of sizes and colours
- Non-equestrian look
The Right Pants. They need to be:
- Moisture-wicking. Comfortable fabrics will pull the moisture away from your skin and prevent your clothes from sticking to you. Look for certain fabrics, like Coolmax, Cooltex, Dri-Lex, or Airmax, which are designed to wick perspiration
- Breathable (or even ventilated). Air that gets to your skin will help to dry moisture on your skin and your body to cool down.
- Light. Obviously, lightweight fabrics will help to minimize how hot you feel. Also, light-coloured fabrics for your shirt and your pants repel the sun while dark colours draw the heat to your body.
- SPF-protected, if possible.
Ovation Ladies AeroWick Silicone Knee Patch Tights
- AeroWick: Knit, ultra-light micro polyester
- Odor resistant and antimicrobial
- UPF 30 premium protection against 96% of UVA
- Good variety of sizes and colours
Kerrits Ice Fil Full Seat Tech Tight
- Breathable, Ice Fil fabric converts sweat to cooling energy
- UPF 50+ Sun protection
- Pretty good variety of sizes
- Good selection of colours
FitsT4 Women’s Riding Tights Knee Patch Ventilated Active Equestrian Schooling Tights
- Fabric wicks moisture
- Lightweight, breathable material
- Cool mesh side panels provide added ventilation
- Moderate variety of sizes
- Modest selection of colours
The Right Socks. They need to be:
- Moisture-wicking and breathable (seeing a theme here?)
- If you’re showing, be mindful of properly supported bras, as well as underwear that gives you a line-free look).
Ovation Ladies’ Zocks Boot Socks
- Nylon/Lycra blend
- Very extensive (and wild) colour and pattern choices
Realtree Girl Women’s Ultra-Dri Boot Socks
- Moisture wicking feature
- Lightweight
- Reinforced heel and toe
- Minimal colour/pattern options
TuffRider Ventilated Neon Knee Hi Socks
- Ventilated
- Reinforced toe and heel
- Modest colour and pattern options
The Right Helmet. In addition to the usual helmet rules – a safety-certified helmet that is new and fits properly – look for these features:
- Ventilation windows. A lot of heat can escape through your head but a helmet without ventilation will trap that heat and raise your body temperature.
- Mesh liner. A cooler liner. Some brands can easily swap out liners so you can always have a clean one on hand.
- Visor. Helpful to keep the sun out of your eyes and, depending on the size of the visor, shield a bit of your skin from the sun’s rays
IRH Equi-Pro Helmet
- Allows fresh air to enter through the front and circulate over the top of the head
- Hi-Tech, soft, fast drying lining pulls moisture away from the head
- Cool-On-Lining is removable and washable
Ovation Extreme Helmet
- Lightweight and low profile
- Stainless steel air vent mesh
- High flow vents
- Removable washable Coolmax® liner
- Removable breakaway visors
Tipperary Sportage Hybrid Helmet
- Sleek, larger brim
- Removable liner for added comfort
- Top and rear vents
The Right Gloves. Sweaty hands trying to hold on to leather reins is not a good – or safe – style.
- The palm. Needs to be made of materials that have good grip, are flexible and movable yet breathable
- The back of the hand. No grip needed here, ventilation is the key!
Heritage Pro-Flow Summer Show Glove
- Stretchable Coolmax mesh top panel to allow free air flow
- Soft and lightweight with microporous holes
- Stretchable Coolmax nylon flex panels along fingers and hand
- Wraparound leather reinforced index finger
Kerrits Mesh Riding Glove
- Mesh back breathes and stretches for a comfort fit
- Griptek palm for precision rein handling
- Touch-screen friendly
SSG Kool Flo Riding Gloves
- Breathable mesh back
- Leather palm for good, natural grip
- Durable construction
The Right Boots. Participation in shows will affect your boot choice but choose:
- Short boots, if possible
- Boots that still adhere to good safety practice: approximately 1 inch heel; moderate traction (a hiking boot is too much); enclosed foot (no sandals, please!); no laces around the foot
Ariat Women’s Heritage Stockman Western Boot
- Shaft measures approximately 8.5” from the arch
- Slightly wider opening at 13.5” around
- Pull-on boot
Ariat Women’s Heritage Lacer II Western Cowboy Boot
- Shaft measures approximately 6” from the arch
- Moisture-wicking lining
- Lace-up boot
Dublin Ladies Elevation Zip Paddock Boot
- Elastic side panels not only make it easier to put the boot on and off but reduce the amount of hot leather around your foot
- Relatively inexpensive
For Your Horse
On any summer day that you plan to ride, you should be mindful of the heat index, which is based on heat and relative humidity. Heat index indicates how hot it feels outside.
Heat Index = Temperature + Humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air and can contribute significantly to your horse’s body temperature. Just consult your local weather report to find out the humidity along with the temperature on any given day. Some weather reports even calculate the heat index for you.
Example calculations:
55 degrees Fahrenheit + 40% humidity = 95 (Pleasant conditions for physical exertion)
60 degrees Fahrenheit + 45% humidity = 105 (Approaching dangerous conditions for sports)
85 degrees Fahrenheit + 30% humidity = 115 (Dangerous conditions for physical exertion)
Keep in mind that many horses seem to prefer to work in mild conditions, with cooler temperatures and a low humidity of perhaps 40%.
However, training with your horse in the summer is not just a matter of the heat index, your horse’s overall physical condition is very important to consider, too. If your horse is a healthy weight, is young and fit, and exercises regularly, he/she should be able to handle being worked on a hot day.
However, if your horse is not those things and/or has a serious medical condition, be very careful working him/her in hot weather. Even a healthy horse that has recently moved from a cooler region might have trouble on a hot day.
If you’re not sure about your horse’s ability to work in warm weather, or to what extent he/she should be worked or how, discuss it with your horse’s trainer or a vet.
There’s a special joy in being with your horse when the summer sun is smiling down on you. Get the right gear, be mindful of the weather conditions, and there’s no reason you and your horse can’t enjoy the warmth and beauty of a summer day!